Diamonds
by Alicante
Summary: Agent Peter Burke catches Neal Caffrey during a jewelry theft at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Eventually Neal comes to live under Peters care and custody. Teen Neal/Parental Peter
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own White Collar (unfortunately).**

* * *

"Where is he?" Special Agent Peter Burke muttered.

"Just around the corner…and he should be walking into the gallery right…now" replied Jones, one of Peter's agents.

Forgetting that he was supposed to be disguised, Peter risked a glance behind him, only to see con-artist and forger (not to mention teenaged) Neal Caffrey come sauntering down the gallery, wearing what appeared to be an official museum curator uniform. He watched as Neal stopped in front of a glass display case, scrutinizing the delicate diamond corsage piece within the case. Carefully removing the glass shell with a pair of gloved hands, Neal gently lifted out the sparkling jewels. A small smile flickered over his face as he laid the diamonds in a case and snapped it shut.

"What are you doing?" a young woman wandered over and was now watching Neal with sharp eyes.

"Just taking it for cleaning" Neal replied, a bright smile lighting up his face. Peter shook his head, the kid had guts, he had to admit, especially for a fifteen year-old. But he also knew Neal preferred to get the job over out quickly, and talking to this woman was probably the last thing he wanted to do.

"Oh. I didn't know they needed cleaning" she said, about to turn away, when she suddenly pulled a gun.

"Freeze! FBI!" she snapped. Peter grinned; Diana really was too good at this.

Neal's smile dropped off his face and he slowly raised his hands. However, instead of looking frightened, as Peter would have thought, he simply looked cool as a cucumber.

"Agent Burke" a cocky smile played on his lips as Peter walked over to them.

"Neal Caffrey" Peter stated as Jones quickly pulled Neal's hands behind his back and zip-tied them. Peter was not taking any chances by putting handcuffs on Neal. He knew they wouldn't stay on anyways and he still wasn't too sure about the zip-ties. Diana grabbed the case of jewels as Jones took a firm grip on one of Neal's arms.

Neal (surprisingly) didn't protest or struggle as the agents walked him towards the exit of the gallery. They were passing a door marked 'fire exit' when Neal suddenly smiled and slid easily out of Jones' grasp.

"Bye Peter" he called mockingly over his shoulder as he locked the fire exit behind him.

"Dammit" Peter swore, already knowing that this would be one hell of a chase.

"He's moving" Diana warned, speaking into her radio.

* * *

Meanwhile, Neal sprinted down the stairs as best he could. It was time for Plan B; he hadn't exactly expected his hands to be zip-tied. Panting, he reached the ground floor and threw himself against that fire exit door, this time setting off the alarm. He smirked, hearing the frantic voices of visitors mixed with museum guards, and FBI agents, knowing that there would be pandemonium throughout the museum, and hopefully buying him a few extra seconds.

The fire exit door burst open and Neal skidded to a halt as Burke, Jones, and Diana confronted him.

Barely pausing he turned around and started to sprint down the stairs, this time to the basement level. He made it down three steps just before he heard a shot rang out and an agonizing, burning pain slammed into Neal's left shoulder sending him crashing down.

He cried out involuntarily, his vision darkening around the edges. Pausing for precious seconds, Neal shook his head desperately, trying to clear out the sudden fogginess.

"Neal!" Peter roared down the stairwell, just catching a glimpse of messy brown hair disappearing around the corner and hearing the pained cry.

Diana and Jones were already running past him, Jones taking the stairs two at a time and Diana holding her gun.

Neal heard the pounding footsteps over the pounding in his head and mentally cursed. He should never have agreed to this job. Jewels weren't really his specialty anyways. The piece that he was supposed to have gotten was a corsage piece made by Tiffany's with 325 diamonds and sapphires arranged in a garland of flowers.

Suddenly startled out of his musings, Neal was almost overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness. He grasped the stair railing tightly trying to find a way to stop the ever-increasing vertigo. His legs began to buckle and he lost his grip on the railing.

Barely able to stay conscious, Neal tumbled down stair after stair until he collapsed on a landing.

Dimly he felt hands rolling him over, someone applying pressure to his shoulder, but then his eyes started to roll back and his vision went black.

* * *

**Me: Thanks for reading! Just a little note on the diamond corsage! This is an actual piece at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. I stretched it a bit, the piece does not have sapphires and has only 305 diamonds. Link to the corsage: toah/works-of-art/41.84.20a-e. Please feel free to leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Last time…**_

_Dimly he felt hands rolling him over, someone applying pressure to his shoulder, but then his eyes started to roll back and his vision went black._

* * *

Peter gazed out across the city, his mind certainly not on the bright lights or the sprawling city beneath him. He had no idea why he was still in Neal Caffrey's hospital room. Diana had called for an ambulance as soon as Peter pressed his tie to Neal's bullet wound. He had watched desperately as Neal's eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp. Jolted out of his thoughts by a soft moan from the bed, Peter turned around.

"Neal?" he asked, as he pressed the call button next to the bed.

Neal's eyes only fluttered as he murmured something, hampered by the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. Peter bit his lip, desperate to know what Neal had said, yet not wanting to deprive Neal of his oxygen.

The doctor came in and carefully tapped Neal's cheek.

"Mr. Caffrey, can you hear me? Open your eyes if you can hear me."

Neal moaned again, his fingers twisting in the blankets as he pried his eyes open. He blinked heavily, trying to clear out the blurriness in his vision.

"Neal?" a fuzzy, but recognizable face floated into view.

"P'ter" he sighed.

Neal struggled to lift his head from the pillow but didn't have any energy.

"I'd like to give him a sedative, just to make sure he sleeps and for the pain as well."

Peter nodded, secretly hating to see the formerly dynamic con so weak and vulnerable. The doctor injected the sedative into Neal's IV and replaced the oxygen mask with a nasal cannula.

"He should be more alert tomorrow," the doctor said softly.

Peter moved to stand closer to Neal and watched as the kid swallowed thickly.

"P'ter…don'…leave…" Neal slurred, his eyes briefly sliding shut before he managed to force them open again.

"I won't" Peter promised, watching as Neal gave into the drugs and relaxed.

* * *

The next morning Peter arrived at the hospital early. Despite his promise to Neal the previous night, Peter had still gone home. He felt he owed it to Elizabeth. She had been concerned about Neal once she heard he had been shot, but had insisted that Peter come home for dinner.

Diana met him as he walked through the glass doors of the hospital.

"Morning, boss" she said, handing him a cup of steaming coffee. Peter eyed it with some distaste, his expression only changing when Diana remarked, "it isn't hospital coffee."

"How's Neal?"

"Fine. Caffrey's still asleep, but the doctor says he'll be awake soon."

"I'll go up now," Peter muttered.

"By the way boss, Hughes wants to know where Neal will be staying. He's going to need medical care for his shoulder and a prison or juvie won't provide it. He thinks Caffrey's valuable to the bureau," Diana added.

"He can stay with me" the words slipped out of Peter's mouth before he knew what was happening. He turned and pressed the 'up' elevator button

"Are you sure boss?" Diana arched her eyebrows inquisitively.

"Yeah. El'll love having a kid around."

"Caffrey isn't just a kid" she called as Peter stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut. He stepped out at the 5th floor and walked the short corridor to Neal's room.

"Morning Jones" he nodded to his agent outside Neal's room, "I'll take over. Take five."

Jones nodded gratefully, yawning.

Peter quietly opened the door to Neal's room and moved across the room to sit in the standard hospital chair.

After awhile, Neal's head tossed on the pillow and he whimpered. Peter could see a sheen of sweat already breaking out on Neal's forehead. He leaned forward and placed a calming hand on Neal's forehead, worried when he realized how warm Neal felt. Peter opened the door of Neal's room, and asked Jones to go find the doctor. Neal's eyes flickered open and he mumbled something.

"What?" Peter asked. Neal ignored him, as the doctor came in.

"Looks like you have a slight fever, Mr. Caffrey," the doctor announced, after taking Neal's temperature.

"We'll keep you here for an extra day just to make sure it doesn't get any worse" the doctor continued.

"I-I-I feel fine. Can I just go home tonight?" Neal spoke for the first time.

"I'm sorry Mr. Caffrey, but we need to keep you here. We also require you to be released into someone's custody because you're a minor."

"I know someone…all I have to do is make a phone call and-" Peter interrupted Neal.

"He's coming home with me."

"What?" Neal struggled to sit up and winced as Peter and the doctor pushed him back against the pillow.

"My boss already cleared it" Peter decided not to mention the part where Hughes considered Neal "valuable".

The doctor shrugged, "well then we can release you in the morning. Mr. Burke, if you'll fill out these forms" the doctor handed him a few papers and a pen.

"Peter? Why are you doing this?" Neal hesitantly asked once the doctor had left.

"My boss thinks you're valuable" Peter shrugged.

Neal grinned and Peter suddenly noticed how unusually bright Neal's eyes were.

"Go to sleep" Peter growled.

Neal obediently closed his eyes, and Peter continued to fill out the forms, disturbed by the fact that he had to leave several questions blank. Peter looked up as Neal shifted restlessly for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

"Neal" Peter called softly. The teenager opened his eyes and Peter was alarmed by the amount of pain in his blue eyes.

"You okay?"

"P'ter, I don' feel so good," the kid blinked up, looking slightly dazed.

Peter sighed, "try to sleep, kid."

Neal nodded weakly and curled on his side. Peter heaved another sigh and sat back in his chair. He thought Neal was sleeping until he heard a quiet voice.

"P'ter?"

"Yeah, Neal?" Peter asked tiredly.

"I trust you" Neal whispered.

* * *

**Me: Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! Unfortunately I'll be away for a week so I may be able to do one more update before I leave. Thanks for reading and please feel free to review! **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Last time…**_

"_I trust you" Neal whispered._

* * *

By the time Peter reached the hospital the next morning, Neal was more than ready to go. He looked positively relieved to see the FBI agent, something that Peter found amusing. A con relieved to see an agent, and that was something Peter thought he'd never see until his dying day.

"Ready to go?" Peter asked.

"Yes!" Neal practically jumped up.

"Sir, I'm not sure Mr. Caffrey should be leaving" the doctor spoke up. Neal sucked in a breath and looked pleadingly at Peter.

"It's alright. My wife has some medical experience" Peter lied. He figured it wasn't exactly a lie; El was good if someone was sick, but he knew she had no real medical skill.

"You lied." It wasn't an accusation or a question, just more of a statement. Peter did his best to ignore the mischievous smirk on the young con's face.

"Get in the car" he said.

* * *

Neal had fallen asleep in the car on the way home. After making a few sarcastic remarks about Peter's driving (and his tie), he had passed out. Peter nudged him awake and supported him as they walked into the Burkes' house.

"Peter, I-" El stopped as she saw her husband come in the door holding up a barely conscious teenager.

"El, hon, this is Neal. Neal this is my wife, Elizabeth."

"Call me El" she smiled warmly, as the boy politely shook her hand.

"Let's go up," Peter said, prodding Neal awake again.

Neal nodded sleepily and stumbled up the stairs, Peter hovering behind him in case the teenager fell. He directed Neal to the guestroom and sat the now shaking teenager on the bed.

"Need anything?" Peter asked softly.

Neal shook his head, "no 'm good."

Back downstairs El started interrogating Peter.

"Why is he here?" she demanded.

"He's Neal Caffr-" Peter started.

"I know who he is. He's the kid I've shared my marriage with for the past two years, he's the reason you haven't been home for dinner on time for over a year!" El breathlessly finished her rant.

"Hughes thinks he's valuable," shrugged Peter.

"How long will he be here?"

"I don't know. Now Satch needs a walk…" Peter looked down at their yellow lab, happily panting at their feet.

"I'll take him." El said, already reaching for the leash and her coat.

* * *

Peter came down, after finishing up a few files. Sneaking behind El, he slid his arms around her waist. She let out a surprised squeak and laughed.

"Hon, you shouldn't" she smiled, trying unsuccessfully to unlatch her husband's arms.

"That smells great" Peter said warmly.

"My famous spaghetti sauce" she said. Peter grinned and pressed a kiss to El's cheek.

At that moment they heard a terrified scream from the guest room. Both shared a horrified glance and ran up the stairs.

"Neal!" Peter and El burst into the bedroom where Neal was huddled in a corner, tightly clutching the sheets and blankets.

He saw them and let out a strangled sob, trying to curl tighter into himself. Peter started towards Neal, only causing the teen to back up into the corner. El placed a restraining hand on Peter's arm and she slowly knelt down until she was on eye level with Neal. Tentatively she crept forward, making sure Neal wasn't moving away. El slowly placed her hand on Neal's arm, biting her lip at Neal's flinch.

"Neal? Sweetie?" she asked softly.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, his fingers unconsciously clutching El's hand.

"It's okay Neal" El said soothingly as she pulled him into her arms.

"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" she asked her husband.

Peter could only shake his head in consternation.

"Put a new sheet on the bed and get a few blankets from the closet" El directed as she carefully eased Neal to lie down on the floor with his head in her lap.

Peter fumbled as he remade the bed, his mind on the fact that El was being so kind and gentle to a criminal. He knelt next to his wife and Neal, slowly sliding his arms under Neal's body and standing up. He carried the teen to the bed and placed him onto the clean sheets.

"Peter! You let him fall asleep with his clothes _and_ shoes on?!" El cried.

"Go get one of your t-shirts" she commanded.

"Why my t-shirt?" Peter asked. El glared at him and he hurriedly grabbed a slightly ratty t-shirt from the guest room closet. Together, Peter and El slid off Neal's slacks and dress shirt, odd clothes for a teenager, and replaced them with Peter's t-shirt.

"Hon, I think I'm going to stay here tonight." El said, looking up at Peter. He was surprised to see that she had tears glistening in her eyes.

"El, hon, what's wrong?" Peter asked softly.

"I just feel so awful. I mean look at him, he's just a child" she drew a shaky breath as Neal bodily flinched, trapped in a nightmare.

* * *

**Me: Please enjoy and feel free to leave a review! **


	4. Chapter 4

_**Last time…**_

"_I just feel so awful. I mean look at him, he's just a child" she drew a shaky breath as Neal bodily flinched, trapped in a nightmare._

* * *

Neal groggily woke up and stretched. He looked down, surprised to see that he was wearing a large t-shirt. Blushing, he wondered who had changed him and guessed that it had been El. He honestly couldn't imagine Peter doing anything like that, the agent seemed to have a child/teenager-phobia.

"Morning" El smiled as she placed a plate of steaming pancakes and crispy bacon in front of Neal.

"You never make me anything like that," Peter complained, spooning up cereal.

"You never ask" El replied, with a twinkle in her eyes as she whisked away Peter's cereal bowl and replaced with a breakfast identical to Neal's. Peter's eyes lit up and he enthusiastically started to devour the food. Neal, however, just poked the food around his plate.

"You aren't hungry?" El asked.

"No…I-I-I'm just not feeling well" Neal looked down at his plate. Peter stared; he couldn't believe that the teen had told El the truth. He supposed that Neal might have been lying, but then again Peter didn't know anybody who could refuse El's pancakes.

"Peter, are you sure he should come to work with you?" El addressed her husband.

"Yeah. Hughes wants to talk with him. I doubt it'll last the entire day, so I can probably bring him home at lunch-"

"No, Peter. Really I don't-" Neal interjected.

"Neal, you are _coming_ home. I'm staying home today anyways."

At this point, Satchmo, who had been watching the three people at the table barked.

"Has Satch been fed yet?" El snagged a piece of bacon from Peter's plate, ignoring his protest, and tossed it to the yellow lab.

"I don't think so…"

"I'll do it" Neal offered.

Peter took the opportunity of Neal leaving the table to scrape the remnants of Neal's plate onto his own plate.

* * *

Neal was uncharacteristically jittery as he and Peter rode the elevator up to the office. The agent didn't think he'd ever seen the teen con as nervous as he was. Then again, he was walking into an office full of the FBI agents that had helped to capture him. Peter resisted the urge to put a comforting hand on Neal's back.

Peter could feel every agent's eyes burning into him and Neal as they walked through the room to Hughes' office. Neal grew paler as they passed by each desk.

Peter knocked on his boss's office door.

"Morning, Burke."

"Hughes" Peter nodded.

"This is Caffrey?"

Peter responded with a nod.

"Barrigan!" Hughes called.

Diana poked her head around the door.

"Can you take Mr. Caffrey for a moment, please?"

"Sure. Come with me" she turned to Neal. The teen shot a pleading look at Peter as Diana firmly clasped his shoulder and steered him towards her desk.

"I have something here" Hughes handed Peter a packet. The agent looked up in bewilderment.

"But these are for…"

"Temporary custody of Neal Caffrey" Hughes nodded slowly.

"I can't take care of a teenager! I barely got through the first night!" Peter fought the urge to lose his temper.

"Boss!" Diana called.

"What is it?"

"It's Caffrey. He's collapsed," she said. Peter knelt next to Diana's chair where Neal was haphazardly sprawled, either unconscious or asleep.

"Neal? C'mon buddy, open your eyes" Peter shook the teen's shoulder, his concern spiking as Neal's head lolled limply. Jones came up behind him and reached for the teen's wrist, checking for a pulse.

"Boss, his pulse is weak and he's running a fever. Was he saying anything about not feeling well?"

"Yeah at breakfast. He, uh, didn't eat much and I don't think he drank anything."

"What's going on?" Hughes asked as he walked out of his office.

"Neal isn't feeling well. I'm going to take him home" Peter stood up.

"Boss, he's waking up."

It was true, Neal's eyes were fluttering open and he blinked dazedly.

"Hey buddy, how you feeling?"

"Not too good" Neal blinked, his eyes looking huge in his pale face.

* * *

A frantic El at the front door met Peter and Neal. The con managed his characteristic smile at El, except it had lost its sparkle and charm due to the clear exhaustion in Neal's face.

"Neal, sweetie, what happened?" El asked, cupping a mercifully cool hand against Neal's neck.

Peter prodded Neal towards the stairs, but caught him at the bottom of the stairs as Neal's knees buckled.

"Shhh…shhh…" Peter soothed Neal as he gathered the feverish teen in his arms. He lowered Neal onto the guestroom bed and then he and El once more changed Neal into Peter's old t-shirt.

Neal's arms were locked around Peter's neck.

"I trust you…out of ev'ryone in my life, I trust you" Peter noticed Neal hadn't named anybody in the "ev'ryone" category.

"Neal, just go to sleep."

"No…you were always there…a'ways…" Neal sighed, quickly slipping into sleep.

"Yeah kid, I was always there. _Just not when you needed me_" Peter thought the last part ruefully; he wished he could have protected Neal from that bullet. Speaking of which, he'd really have to have a chat with Diana about her shooting.

Peter's thoughts were disrupted as he heard someone come up behind him. He felt a warm arm slide around his waist and a small chin rest on his shoulder. El said nothing and just leaned softly against Peter. But after awhile, she spoke.

"You've always been there for him, whether he needed you or not" she murmured. Peter felt an involuntary smile appear on his face, El was often able to tell what was on Peter's mind.

* * *

**Me: unfortunately this will be my last update for at least a week as I will be on vacation. Please enjoy! **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Last time…**_

"_You've always been there for him, whether he needed you or not" she murmured. Peter felt an involuntary smile appear on his face, El was often able to tell what was on Peter's mind._

* * *

Neal spent the next two days in Peter and El's guest bedroom with a 100 degree fever. During that time, El had incessantly mother-henned him, bringing the classic chicken soup, ginger ale, Gatorade, and medicine. Neal had tried to protest against the medicine but El had insisted. By the third day, Neal's fever finally broke and he managed to swallow a few bites of cereal without a chance of it reappearing.

"Neal?" Peter called.

Neal poked his head out of the kitchen, a pencil dangling from his slim fingers. While Neal was sick, El had thought it a good idea to buy him a pad of paper and a few pencils, just to keep him occupied.

"We need to talk to you about something…"

"Satchmo didn't eat any of the pencils" Neal had an almost comical look of alarm on his face.

"No," Peter chuckled, shaking his head "El and I just need to talk to you about something."

"Oh. Okay" Neal followed Peter into the living room, where El sat with Satchmo at her feet.

"Neal, we need to talk about what to do with you. Peter's boss doesn't want you to go to prison, but you can't go to work with Peter" El paused and took a deep breath, "so we decided you should go to school."

"School?" Neal echoed.

Peter nodded in confirmation, "school. And you're not getting out. By the way we got some of your clothes from the hospital."

Neal's crestfallen face lit up at the mention of his clothes. Peter flipped him a fedora and El handed him a neat pile of a folded shirt and pants. With an ease strange for a teenager, Neal slipped the fedora on his brown hair and cheekily grinned.

* * *

Neal stood in the bustling hallway of the high school, clutching his class schedule and shifting a messenger bag (El had gotten him a backpack, but Neal had insisted it wasn't stylish enough) on his shoulder. He had tried to ask several people where room 233 was, but they had all walked past him, either caught up in their own dramas or just ignoring him. Finally one person stopped, a girl with brown hair carrying a cup of Starbucks'.

"Yes?" the girl asked, and Neal could smell the coffee wafting out of the paper cup.

"Room 233?" Neal asked, suddenly feeling awkward and shy.

"That's where I'm going. Just follow me" she smiled. Neal stared, he hadn't seen a girl more perfect than her, and he was getting a sudden overwhelming urge to draw her. To draw her beautiful dark brown hair, tumbling down her shoulders, her bright blue eyes and the way they lit up when she smiled.

"What's your name?" he asked, as they made their way up the crowded stairwell.

"Kate. Kate Moreau. What's yours?" she called over her shoulder.

"Neal. Neal Burke."

"Nice to meet you Neal. By the way, nice hat" she turned and smiled as they reached the classroom door.

"After you" he opened the door and motioned for Kate to go through first.

* * *

The Burkes didn't live far away from the high school, so Neal was able to walk home. As he strolled along the sidewalk, he imagined how he would sketch Kate's beautiful face and the way the pencil would move as he created the strands of her illustrious dark hair.

"Hey, how was your day?" El greeted him as he carefully hung his bag on the back of the front door.

"Good, how was yours?" he shrugged noncommittally.

"Good? That's all?" she asked.

"Yeah." Neal didn't elaborate and El didn't pry. She could tell something was up, and surmised that it was either something unpleasant or something amazing. Either way, Neal was good at hiding his true feelings.

"I'm home!" El and Neal both heard as Peter came in.

"How was school?" Peter asked, as he rubbed Satchmo's belly and the dog rolled his eyes in doggy heaven.

"Good" Neal gave the same reply he had given to El.

"Just good?" Peter questioned.

Neal mustered a smile, "fine."

"Just fine?" Peter's FBI training started to get the better of him.

"It was great" Neal sighed.

"What happened?"

"Will you stop prying?" Neal questioned.

Peter shrugged defensively, "I was just curious."

"Fine. I met a girl. Kate Moreau."

El gasped and Neal turned, he hadn't even noticed her come into the room or come up behind him. His previous skills were already diminishing.

"Neal, sweetie, that's wonderful! What's she like? Is she nice?" El gushed.

"Yes, El. She's nice" he replied, smirking a bit at El's crestfallen face when she realized that was all Neal would say.

* * *

**Me: I'm back! Unfortunately I won't be updating my stories as much as I had previously. I play a varsity sport and right now that's taking up my time! But, don't fear, I will update at least once a week. By the way I'm SO excited for the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones! It comes out tomorrow!**


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